Headwear



E. WITTCOFF Jan. 15, 1935.

HEADWEAR Filed Nov. 2, 1935 Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES 1,988,101 HEADWEAR.

Edward Wittcofi, University City, Mo., assignor to Caradine Hat Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application November 2, 1933, Serial No. 696,320

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to headwear and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in hats especially adapted for wear in the summer or in hot climates.

My invention has for its chief object the provisionof a hat preferably of helmet shape, of

such ventilated construction as to be exceedingly comfortable to the wearer.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a hat preferably of the type stated in which the sweat-band may be selectively spaced from the crown and brim for varying the headsize of the hat.

My invention has for another object the provision of a hat also preferably of the type stated in which the sweat-band is relatively cushioned with respect to the crown, thereby adding largely to the comfort of the hat in wear or service.

My invention has for still another object the provision of a hat having the characteristics named which may be inexpensively manufactured, which is durable and serviceable, and which eificiently functions in comfortably protecting the head, face, and neck of the wearer.

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,-

Figure 1 is a longitudinally vertical sectional View taken approximately on the line l1, Figure 2, of a hat embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an inverted plan View of the hat;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the hat taken approximately on the line 3--3, Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view of the hat embodying a selectively modified 40 head-size band spacing-member.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, the hat is constructed for the most part of straw, fabricated or treated paper, or other suitable material and, while preferably, as here shown is of general helmet contour or form, may equally well be of various configuration or shapes. Essentially, however, it may be said, the hat includes a crown proper A, a brim B, and an intermediate or connecting crown-section C.

The crown A comprises a body-portion a preferably of general rounded or domed shape and provided centrally at its point of greatest exextension with an auxiliary or reduced dome 1,

and suitably formed. in-the crown body-portion a and radiating downwardly from the dome l, areoutwardly convexedneatly rounded ribs 2,' which not only are decorative of the crown and add to the pleasing and attractive appearance of 5 the hat, but alsostrengthen the crown in retainingits. domed formation. Provided also in the crown body-portion a and in the dome 1, are respective annular series of preferably eyeletted ventilation openings 3,4.

-Brim' B "is preferably of extended area, as shown, to quite fully shade and protect the face and neck of the wearer and at its free or outer margin is attractively finished by a binding or edging 5. At its inner margin brim B is flanged upwardly and thereby formed with a ring-shaped extension 6 having a diametrical dimension substantially the same as that of the lower margin of the crown A, the ring 6 in the finished hat, as presently appears, forming in effect the base of the crown in defining the head-opening of the hat.

Section C comprises a body-section or strip 7 of open mesh or reticulated metallic or other suitable material, which transversely is relatively stiff, and neatly binding the opposite margins of the strip 7, are edgings 8, 8, the bound strip 7 being doubled upon itself and having its ends secured together in the formation of a ring having also substantially the same diametrical dimension as that of the base of the crown A and the ring 6, between which the ring 7 is disposed and to which the ring 7 is permanently suitably attached, as by thread-stitches or the like 9. The ring '7 thus also, in effect, forms part of the crown of the finished hat and further provides for the ventilationthereof.

Hats so constructed may be cheaply manufactured in quantities and may have the same diametrical size of head-opening forming ring 6. To meet the requirements, however, of different head sizes and to also augment ventilation of the hat, a suitable annular sweat-band D of predetermined head-size is disposed within the crown in juxtaposition to the ring 6, and disposed within the crown intermediate the ring 6 and band D is an annular series of suitably spaced band-spacing members E, which with the band D are suitably attached to the ring 6 as by means of suitable thread-stitches 10. As best 50 seen in Figures 3 and 4, each of the spacingmembers E is constructed of a suitable strip of some relatively soft material, such, for instance, as straw, wound or spooled upon itself and secured in spool-formation as by a pin or other suitable means 11. The strip forming the spool E, it will be understood, will have a width suflicient to compactly fit between a band D of predetermined head-size and the ring 6, as shown, and may vary in width to correspondingly fit between the ring 6 and bands D of greater or lesser head-size. Thus, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4, which illustrate respective spacingmembers E and E of different widths, by varying the diametrical dimension of the band D and the width of the spacing-spool, the headsize of the finished hat may be selectively varied to fit heads of different sizes. Further, the structure of the spools E, and band- 'D largely cushions the hat on the head and the spacing of the head-size defining band D provides, in addition, for the ventilation of the hat, all adding greatly to the comforto'f the wearer.

It is to be understood that changes andimodifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combinationoi. the several parts of the hat may he made and substituted for those herein shown and described without. departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and-desire to secure-by'Letters Patent is,-

1. In a hat, a crown having av head-opening defining base, a sweat-band extending around within the crown in approximately parallel relation with the base thereof, a series of individual cushion-members endwise interposed in annularly spaced relation intermediate the base and band for spacing the band radially from the crown, and means common to, and engaging the band, the base, and said respective members, for securing the same together.

2. In a hat, a crown having a head-opening defining base, a sweatband extending around within the crown in approximately parallel relation with the base thereof, a series of individual cushion-members each constructed of fibrous material endwise interposed in annularly spaced relation intermediate the base and band for spacing the band radially from the crown, and means common to, and engaging the band, the base, and said respective members, for seeming the same together.

3. In a hat, a crown having a head-opening defining base,- a sweat-band extending around Within the crown in approximately parallel relation with the base thereof, a series of individual cylindrical members each including a strip of fibrous material of selected width spooled upon itself endwi'se interposed in annularly spaced relation intermediate the base and band for spacing the band radially from the crown, and thread stitching common to, and passed through the band, the base, andsaid respective members, for securing the same together.

EDWARD W'IT'ICOFF. 

